Authors

Abstract

A novel, computational approach to distinguishing between bulk and surface recombination in crystalline silicon is presented. The Photoconductive Decay technique, applied with a probe of sufficiently long wavelength, senses no informiation about carrier diffusion or distributions in samples, thus isolating carrier recombination as the sole cause of its decay signal. If the recombination and transport parameters of' a sample remain cor~standt uring the decay, the information content and collective properties of the decay paIameters allow them to be solved simultaneously to produce unique values for the bulk lifetime and surface recombination velocities of the measurement sample. The method is rapid and simple, requires no special sample preparations or equipment, and does not alter samples. The method is demonstrated on measured data.